Alex Caruso is an interesting player. He specializes in defending and operating as a secondary playmaker, but he’s not a great ball-handler or shooter, which makes it difficult for him to make offense around. That’s why it was approved in 2016.
However, in the right situation, Caruso will shine as a role player, and there is no better position for him than the Lakers, where he gets to play LeBron James. Unlike Caruso, James primarily manages the ball in his hand, and when James has the ball, he rewards his fellow players who do the right plays, even if he sets the screen, cuts the basket and opens it for shots. . That’s where Caruso comes in.
According to Stats.nba.com, the two-man lineup of LeBron James and Alex Caruso, together, posted a net rating of +16.1 in 233 minutes. The only two-man lineups with a net rating on the Lakers (played at least 200 minutes) are LeBron James and Danny Green, and Anthony Davis and Danny Green.
So even though James had no idea at the beginning who Caruso was when he signed with the Lakers, their pairing is a revelation for the team this season. During a recent interview with The Wall Street Journal’s Ben Cohen, James talked about what he believes Caruso and he have achieved together:
“We’re one when it comes to winning basketball,” James said. “To look at our chemistry together … I think it comes to our minds.”
When you think of players at the same level as James when it comes to basketball IQ, you usually think of players like Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant, Rajan Rondo and Chris Paul, not Alex Caruso – not just the beginning. But James experienced an early start with Caruso, and he thinks the connection will get better as Caruso grows as a player.
“I think Alex Caruso is the true definition when opportunity meets preparations,” James said after winning the Lakers’ Western Conference Finals-Cleaning at the Denver Nuggets on Saturday. “He has been preparing for this moment for a long time and he just needs a chance. Luke [Walton] Gave him a chance last year, and now Coach Vogel and our coaching staff are giving him a chance on the big stage. He is just taking full advantage of it.
“He’s gotten better and better every minute he’s on the floor,” James continues. “(And) he’s still learning. Every game is still a learning experience for him as he is very new to the NBA. He played many of his minutes during his early stages in the G League. But the first time I saw it, and saw it in some of our practice, it wasn’t sneaky athletics. This was the way he defended and how cerebral he played the game. “
Those qualities led to a quick and easy connection between them.
“I just gravitate towards players like that, because in the game, everyone talks about the physical side, and how many jumps you can jump and how fast you can run and all those things. But the mental side is that Takes you to the next level, “said James.” I saw that from the AC and he continues to learn. It’s been great for us right now. “
Caruso still has a few things he can work on, he will fit better next to his gems, including his 3-point shot, but he is not limited, but he has the respect and confidence of the star, Which is something he probably didn’t even expect to go into the season.
Caruso and James may not be the most obvious pair, but they work well together, like the catap and scrambled eggs. Don’t knock it down until you try it!
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